A Taste of Tradition
by Torasuki
Summary: My little 'April Fool's day tribute'. [short, completed]. See how Inuyasha and Shippou react to one of Kagome's strangest traditions!


A Taste of "Tradition" by Tora  
  
She had a certain, uncharacterictically wicked gleam in her eye as she hoisted herself over the 8 wall of the well.  
  
Kagome stopped and tousled her own hair, rubbed her eyes until they were red and took in a deep breath, Replacing the smirk on her face with one of shock and horror, she let her voice call out  
  
"INUYASHA!!!!"  
  
She was almost surprized at how loud she yelled, and had to swallow quickly to keep from being scared. Kagome hear her own name being called by his voice in the distance, and it was only another moment before the flash of red blurred to a stop in front of her. Shippou clung to his shoulder, hanging on for his life.  
  
"What is it!? What's wrong Kagome!?" Inuyasha yelled all at once as he looked around frantically for whatever had caused her to scream like that.  
  
Kagome took a breath and went to work.  
  
"I...I ...there was a demon... the shards.." she breathed through short breaths, squeezing her eyes shut. "It followed me last night... I couldn't.... I don't know where it went!"  
  
"It took ALL of our shards!?" he screamed into her face, and she fought not to 'sit' him for his utter disregard for her well being.  
  
She only looked down, working up tears as best she could.  
  
"Shit! Kagome let's go!" She felt him pulling her to hoist her up onto his back. Shippou couldn't get a word in edgewise, and looked as if he would faint out of fear.  
  
Kagome couldn't hold the facade back any longer. She planted her feet and waited until he turned to look at her so she could get one last look at the exasperation on his face.  
  
A smile broke out on her face so quickly they barely had time before she half yelled/half laughed: "April Fools!"  
  
Kagome fell back to a seat laughing when both Shippou and Inuyasha looked at her as if she'd grown another head. She could see the sweat drops forming on their temples in between her rolling laughter. "Ohhh I got you both! hahahah!!"  
  
"Kagome?" Shippou hopped down from Inuyasha's shoulder and approached her with great caution.  
  
"What is WRONG with you!?" Inuyasha yelled finally. "Was that some sort of joke?"  
  
When Kagome waved her hand in the air and continued laughing, Shippou stepped to her side. "And why did you call us 'aypril-fools'?" he asked, nervously looking between a breathless Kagome and a steaming Inuyasha.  
  
At the strange pronunciation of the day, Kagome laughed even harder, only stopping when a shadow fell over her. She felt a soft scrape of his claws over the skin of her collarbone as he inspected the jewel-shard necklace, which was still in her possession.  
  
"Ohh Inuyasha I'm sorry!" her face was beet red already, so the blush arising from the proximity of his face to hers was easily blended with that.  
  
"It's...it's a tradition in my time!" she took another breath as he scoffed and leaned back, looking at her scathingly out of the corner of his eye.  
  
"The first day of the month of April you're supposed to fool someone, usually friends and family, into thinking something that's not true."  
  
Shippou had calmed by now and sat in her lap, gazing up at her in wonder as she told the story.  
  
"If you fool them, you yell 'April Fools!', to let them know that you won! That it was all a joke.." As she said the last part she glanced at Inuyasha, who scoffed with more force as he stood. Shippou was smiling as he remembered Kagome had explained months and days, while Inuyasha began to walk off.  
  
"That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard, Kagome! Leave your 'traditions' to your own stupid time!" he yelled as he walked towards the forest in his classic pose.  
  
"Hey! I've got lunch Inuyasha! I'm not going anywhere until after I eat!" She stood and dropped her bag at her feet, but he made a mocking noise and kept walking.  
  
Kagome made a frustrated noise as she watched him walk off, and sat down in a huff. "I didn't mean to make him mad! Can't he lighten up once in awhile!?" she went about mumbling as she laid out a blanket and set the food out for herself and Shippou. She made sure to keep Inuyasha's ramen in the bag.  
  
"He's just mad 'cause he got scared Kagome." Shippou cut in when it looked like she settled down. "When we heard you scream like that.." he stopped, and Kagome frowned "It just sounded like you were so scared... Inuyasha went so fast..."  
  
She signed and looked sullen suddenly. "I'm sorry... I guess I should have picked a better joke."  
  
Shippou frowned at her sad expression for a moment in between handfulls of food, and then he smiled. "Ah, he'll get over it! We haven't seen you laugh like that in a long time."  
  
Kagome blushed a little and finished her food, gazing into the woods as Shippou finished his. " I just wish he'd laugh a little more" She sighed as she strapped the heavy bag to her back and Shippou bounded off ahead of her.  
  
She was about to yell at him to wait, but she sighed and kept walking slowly, knowing he'd be waiting for her as she reached the forest.  
  
When she did reach the forest, Kagome stopped in her tracks as she saw Shippou fly past her and smack into a tree trunk. She followed the trail back to Inuyasha's lowering hand. He sat high in a tree, his back to Kagome, and must have smacked Shippou clear across the distance that separated them and into the tree behind her.  
  
Perverbial flames shot from her ears as her fists clenched at her sides. "Inuyasha! SIT!" she yelled in a voice that easily showed her anger.  
  
A short, signature yelp, followed by a hollow slam filled the forest with noise before it went silent.This time, there was no growling or cursing. Kagome waited an extra moment before she saw Shippou wavering at her feet with stars in his eyes. "You ok Shippou-chan?" He nodded, and carefully jumped to her shoulder.  
  
Kagome immediately began walking towards the crater that Inuyasha's falling form had created, beginning to rant earily so as to cut him off. "Now that was just MEAN! He's just a kid, you could have hurt him!" She stomped over and stood above his still form. "Inuyasha, you apologise!"  
  
No sound  
  
Kagome's eyebrows twitched as she looked down at him. "Hey... I mean it..." She said in a less than convincing voice as she knelt down. Shippou hopped off of her shoulder and leaned over, poking the hanyou in the side. "Oi, Inuaysha?" he said softly.  
  
Kagome put both hands on his back and pushed a bit, her eyes going wide. "Inuaysha?"  
  
Still no movement. She leaned over to listen for sounds, but there was nothing.  
  
Immediately, she shook him more, saying his name more loudly and turning his head so she could see his face. His eyes were closed lazily."Sh... Shippou.." she said in shock as she felt tears coming to her eyes.  
  
Shippou was equally speechless and shocked as he backed away shaking his head. "I can't hear him.. breathing..."  
  
Kagome looked back to Shippou with pleading eyes, and leaned back in to wrap her arms around Inuyasha. She buried her face in his hair and said his name more loudly again, but there was still no response.  
  
"Ohh god.." she whined, her tears beginning to run over. "Shippou... Shippou... " She sat up and turned, stumbling over to her bag. "Go and get Kaede!! Now!" She yelled, nearly falling as she knelt by her bag, frantically trying to find her medical kit. Her blood was rushing so loudly in her ears that she barely heard a soft 'hnn.', and the words that came from behind her.  
  
"April Fools." the male voice said slowly and clearly so that she could heard him. Her head jerked up and she slowly turned around to face him.  
  
Inuyasha lay on his side, his chin propped un his hand, and the most smug look she'd ever seen plastered across his face.  
  
She heard a loud, childlike laugh behind her and turned to see Shippou, laughing so hard he could barely walk back to her.  
  
A small, wry smile crept over her face as she turned back to face Inuyasha, almost disbelieving what he'd just done. She could only shake her head as Shippou's laugh peirced her shock, and she finally let out a short laugh.  
  
Inuyasha sat up and grinned like she'd never seen him do so before. A genuine smile that helped a full fledge laugh echo from her chest. Shippou fell over at her side, breathing the words "we got you!" in between frantic, laughing breaths.  
  
"You were in on it!! You little brat!" She grabbed him and rubbed her knuckles over his hair as he protested. Inuyasha stretched his arms behind his head and laughed a little under his (now more smug) grin. "Guess I won that round!" he said, leaning back against the tree trunk.  
  
"Now where's my ramen!"  
The end. 


End file.
